Pentagon reveals rape statistics, vows to do better

October 02, 1992|By Orange County Register

Concerned over mounting criticism from Congress an others, the Pentagon yesterday made its fullest accounting to date of rape in the military and said it would confront the issue more directly in the future.

Capt. Steve Clawson, a spokesman for the Navy, which also released new statistics, said the Navy "could have done better" at getting out the message that the Navy was concerned about a reported rise in rape reports and would aggressively combat the crime within its ranks.

The four services each released conviction statistics for 1991, showing that 108 servicemen had been court-martialed for forcible rape and carnal knowledge, which is the military equivalent of statutory rape. The Army had the the largest number, 40, followed by the Navy with 35, the Marines with 26 and the Air Force with 7.

Military police investigated 493 substantiated rape reports on U.S. military installations in 1991, according to an ongoing investigation by the Register.